McArthur Glen Accessories Challenge: Part One

Hello!

I had a really exciting shopping trip last weekend as part of McArthur Glen's spring accessories blogger challenge.

McArthur Glen own several of the UK's biggest and best designer shopping outlets, as well as many more around the world. With up to 70% off top designer brands, there's no wonder than these outlet malls have become a real shopping destination.

My nearest McArthur Glen outlet is Cheshire Oaks, which is actually the UK's largest designer outlet, with more than 145 stores and restaurants. I've lived in Manchester for almost four years (around a 40 minute drive from Cheshire Oaks) and have been meaning to visit the outlet for ages; so when McArthur Glen invited me to take part in the spring accessories challenge at the outlet, I couldn't wait to get shopping!

Tasked with finding two perfectly versatile spring accessories for under £250, I hit the shops with, if anything, too much choice!

McArthur Glen Gift Card

There are so many great stores at Cheshire Oaks, from high street retailers like Warehouse and Gap, to top end designers like Mulberry and Burberry. With the huge choice of stores, I had a mental hit list of where I planned to look first; these were Lulu Guinness (gorgeous bags, well known for the cult lips clutches), Daniel Footwear (branded shoes retailer) and Reiss (dreamy on-trend minimalism).

I took some snaps of my trip and favourite finds below.

Above: amazing glittery black and pink Air Max's at the Nike store

Above: Bag heaven at Fiorelli

Above: Lulu Guinness lips clutches

After a whole lot of browsing, we decided to stop off for lunch and were spoilt for choice with the selection of restaurants available. Though massively tempted by Ed's Diner, we opted for Yo! Sushi as a slightly healthier choice as we'd just got back from a break in Amsterdam and had eaten a bit too much over the previous few days!

Above: lunch at Yo! Sushi

After an amazing lunch and time to mull over the accessories I'd seen, I headed back to Lulu Guinness and David Clulow eyewear to make my purchases.

Sunglasses - Ray Ban

Black longline coat - Boohoo

Fluffy jumper - Fashion Union

Jeans - Primark

Trainers - Adidas (Stan Smiths)

Come back soon for part two - the big reveal on what I bought and to see me style up my buys five different ways!

Have you ever visited a McArthur Glen outlet?

Branded Lab Spring/Summer'15 Showcase: Get Branded

Hello!

I recently went along to PR agency, Branded Lab's Spring/Summer showcase - 'Get Branded'.

Branded Lab look after some great high street fashion brands and as I'm not so familiar with some of the labels they represent, I was really excited to see their SS15 collections and get to know them better.

The brand showcase was held in Manchester's amazing Rosylee tearooms - one of my favourite places which has recently been transformed into more of a restaurant; I haven't been in for a while so it was great to see the changes to their menus and decor.

Clutch bags from KoKo Couture

Pieces from South Avenue

Bejewelled Coord by KoKo Couture

Pick 'n' Mix!

South Avenue Coord and NaaNaa paisley playsuit

Alex and I looking at the ranges and being papped by photographer Sophie Lobban

Rosylee provided the perfect atmosphere for a fashion event - the inside is so sophisticated yet still maintains that Northern Quarter quirkiness. It has a real vintage feel to it and lots of pretty touches like interesting light fittings and plants around the venue.

While being treated to delicious, classic spring cocktails and the most incredible mini desserts (not ashamed to say that I tried all of them!), it was great to catch up with some of my favourite bloggers as well as meet some new faces.

On to the collections! I was really impressed with the brands on display which included British-made leather bags by Harriet Sanders, Jailbird Jeans, Ruby Prom, NaaNaa and South Avenue. The latter two brands were behind my favourite pieces of the evening which I've photographed above: the dreamy pastel pink Clueless-inspired check coord two-piece set and the cool boho-style red paisley playsuit.

Thanks to Branded Lab for a great evening and for a fabulous goody bag which included products from Lipcote, Elf and Avon - as well as a huge bag of sweets from their amazing pick and mix stand!

Have you seen anything you'd love to wear this spring from these brands?

South Beach Blog Party

Hello!

I thought I'd share another event that I've been at recently, though this one's a bit special as it was organised by little old me!

I don't think I've really mentioned work much on my blog but for anyone who might be interested, I work for an imports/wholesale company who supply lots of high street and online clothing and accessories shops. My title is Website Coordinator which, let me tell you, covers a hell of a lot!

We do a lot of swimwear so last year decided to launch a brand; South Beach- who do lots of gorgeous colourful biknis, swimsuits kaftans and cover-ups. Definitely check them out if you're going away somewhere hot this summer.

As Website Coordinator I've been very much involved with promoting the launch handling all the marketing, website, social yadda yadda... SO deciding to put my lovely blogger contacts to good use, I organised a blog event!

It was held at the fabulous Frurt frozen yogurt shop in Spinningfields, Manchester. We thought it would be really fitting and summery; and frozen yogurt is reasonably healthy right? (I'm justifying adding Hershey's Cookies and Creme chocolate to mine that way) So perfect if you're trying (and failing) to get bikini ready this summer like me.

I was flapping around the office like a mad person on the day, packing goody bags, cleaning glasses and generally panicking that no one would turn up- all made worse when the sky turned grey and it poured down, Manchester style! Luckily, like some divine miracle, as soon as we got there the sun came out which looked amazing shining through the big glass front of the shop.

Most importantly, people came.

Here are some of the photos I took (as the 'official' photographer haha).

My strawberry prosecco bellinis

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar- true story. Having been a barmaid for a number of years comes in handy from time to time in life, as witnessed above with my yummy strawberry prosecco bellinis (very easy to make) which I think went down pretty well!

Lovely bloggers Amy (www.thepretrender.blogspot.co.uk/) Clara (www.countessdublush.com), Victoria (www.inthefrow.com) and Rosy (www.rostinted.blogspot.co.uk)

Gorgeous ladies Sindy (http://www.sindy-ng.blogspot.co.uk/), Lily (http://www.lilykitten.com/) Martyna (http://www.elmartina.blogspot.co.uk/) and Ashleigh (http://www.prettygirlrich.blogspot.co.uk/) 

Martyna (www.elmartina.blogspot.co.uk), Lily (www.lilykitten.com) and Lola/Fikki (www.thepastimebliss.blogspot.co.uk)

Beaut ladies Megan (www.whatsnewpussycatt.blogspot.co.uk), Charlotte (www.lurchhoundloves.com), Danielle (www.ablogfromblackpool.com) and Frances (www.francescassandra.blogspot.co.uk)

Frances (www.francescassandra.blogspot.co.uk), Joanna (http://www.mintyessence.com/), Danielle (www.ablogfromblackpool.com) and Lola (www.thepastimebliss.blogspot.co.uk)

And the only picture of me on the night below.

Me: T shirt- vintage shop in Manchester; Jeans- American Apparel; Brooklyn T-bar wedges- Jeffrey Campbell

With, of course, the lovely Sarah of Fashion Dotty- she looked amazing!

I also stuck the Vita Coco cabinet on the side (it's not all distorted and pink and surrounded by stars in real life- though it should be) as I thought these guys deserved a mention. I'm not all that keen on the plain coconut water but the staff at Frurt made us some UH-mazing fruity mocktails with this stuff and they were to die for! They also set up a beachy deckchair and palm tree for us which you might have seen as a prop in some of the bloggers' posts.

There's a few more pictures of the event here too.

Sorry for anyone I've missed pictures of, it got quite busy at one point and there wasn't much room to get down to the bottom of the venue with my camera. I know in particular Rosie and Maria, I didn't seem to get you!

I had such a stressful good time organising the event; I can't remember who said it but one of the girls said to me on arrival that it must be like organising your own birthday party- you can't enjoy yourself until you're actually there which I could definitely identify with!

Big thanks to Frurt and Vita Coco for giving us all something lovely to eat/drink and HUGE thanks to all of the bloggers who took time out of their days to come down and check it out. From the bottom of my heart, I was really touched by the turnout and the lovely feedback on the event and range.

If you want to see what any of the bloggers thought, try searching #SouthBeachBlog party on Twitter for posts and also on Instagram too for pictures.

Much love,

Foxy x

A classic mac: the ultimate solution to inbetween weather

The Great British weather. I'd like to think that its unpredictability is the reason for our complete unpreparedness for the changes it throws at us.

Always a talking point whether it be snowing, raining, hot or cold; and of course, we English are rarely satisfied with the result.

The Spring/Summer transition in particular is always a tricky one.

Pretty dresses, shorts and skirts hit the highstreet at the start of the season and, through wishful thinking I suppose, we start to panic about the weather and the need to update our wardrobes for the imminent instatement of the sunshine.

Of course this never happens and we are usually subjected to grey clouds and drizzle well into April.

However I have found the current weather tricky myself. It became apparent that I didn't have anything suitable in terms of 'outerwear' for the ever-changing weather.

My long, black, wool winter coat looked ridiculous as soon as the odd ray of sunshine peered through the clouds, and my various vintage denim jackets did little to keep the cold out when the overcast clouds decided to contradict what looked like a promising day a few hours beforehand.

I'd been toying with the idea of buying a nice classic mac for awhile and had my eye on this one (which you will soon learn that I did actually buy) from Zara for £49.99



The perfect combination of value for money and style. So what was stopping me? In short- the weather.

Every time I made up my mind to pop in and buy it, the weather perked up and I concluded that as it was getting hotter, I wouldn't have the chance to wear it.

The other day however, I bit the proverbial bullett and bought it. This came after an unexpected cold spell that I wasn't going to stand for any longer!

All this comes of course a few days before I open the paper and learn that this week is to be the hottest of the year so far.

The British weather- you just can't win!